Learning and Character at Augustine Classical Academy: A Parent’s Perspective

I first heard about classical Christian education from a friend of mine back in Canada many years ago. In those days he was a mentor to me, one of the many I’m thankful to God for. Being about ten years older than me and with kids in public school, he had educational questions I had no answer for, but I was intrigued nonetheless. My friend came to believe that having kids in public school was dangerous for them, so he and his wife opted to homeschool. Coincident with his new-found Reformed faith, he discovered the classical curriculum and went whole-hog with it for his kids. I followed my friend into Reformed theology, and though I didn’t yet have kids of my own (or even a wife!), I became quite interested in this new, but old approach to teaching. Therein I began what seemed like a premature journey into what (in Canada) was a very obscure approach to teaching – and boy, am I glad I did! One of the many takeaways from my study of the classical method was the connection between virtue and knowledge, something that stays with me to this day. As a university professor, I want to imbibe this ancient pedagogy, so that my students grow both in learning and in character. And it’s something that I’m already seeing in my own kids.

In the late twentieth century, when I was first contemplating education, it was apparent that our culture needed a curriculum that taught students how to learn and how to connect knowledge to virtue. Basic facts of life are important, of course, but education should be about much more. This need has been amplified in the early twenty-first century. There is a connection between the moral decay of the gilded-age of Athenian society and our own. When we enter the ancient world we meet a philosopher named Socrates, who, like many of us, was concerned with whether virtue could be taught to the coming generations. In his dialogue with a Sophist named Meno, Socrates demonstrated that truth could be universally known by asking Meno’s slave-boy a series of mathematical questions. Though this boy had no formal education, he could effectively answer a simple formula like 1+1=2 because this truth was universal and was known innately in the minds of all. As it turns out, many things are known innately, including virtue. What was required to access such knowledge was a good teacher who could facilitate good learning.

What I love about the interchange between Socrates and the slave boy is that it proves that education is for all and that young people have the potential to learn and to learn well. This flew in the face of Meno and his Sophist friends who thought that learning was not possible and virtue was absurd. It also flies in the face of contemporary education gurus, who teach to the lowest common denominator, not respecting kids’ ability to learn—and sadly the bar keeps getting lower and lower. Socrates’ approach is the principal and most compelling feature of classical education. Younger generations can be pushed to learn. It’s why the classical curriculum has stood the test of time, utilized by the students in the ancient world of Socrates and Plato all the way to modern greats like Newton. Though classical education was cast aside in the late-modern period, its resurgence in our day is heartening. Augustine Classical Academy is one of the many schools that have adjoined themselves to this ancient pedagogical stream, and I’m glad that my kids are swimming in its tributary. 

At the behest of my mentor, the first text I read on classical education was Dorothy Sayers’ classic essay, “The Lost Tools of Learning.” I appreciated much of what she had to say, but its brevity left me wanting more. I next read Doug Wilson’s Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning and began to see how the classical approach could move from the teaching of the four classical virtues of the ancients to be coupled with and grounded in the three theological virtues of Paul: faith, hope, and love. It is this classical and Christian approach that ACA takes seriously and I see it evidenced in the way the school teaches my kids; there is a real concern to connect learning with character. The best example of this, for me, occurred at the end of last term when my son Jack had to visit the principal’s office. As it turns out, he had to make that long gallows walk past the gym and lunch room to see Mr. Ahern, not because he did anything wrong (phew!), but because Mr. Ahern wanted to address Jack and the boys in his class with ideas about what it means to be a Christian man. I loved this! School is not just about facts, but about character. I’m sure that Jack was at least relieved by what Mr. Ahern had to say, if not encouraged!

ACA has thus alleviated many of our fears since my family and I moved to Colorado in the summer of 2017. In our hometown of Toronto we were involved in a “pilot project” classical school called Westminster Classical Christian Academy, and we absolutely loved it. All of the desires I had for classical learning that I developed so long ago were met at this school, and more. Our kids thrived there, and it felt tragic that we were removing them from such a fantastic learning environment. We were worried that we wouldn’t find the same kind of school for our kids here in Lakewood. It was a relief to find (through an interesting internet connection I had with ACA’s beloved Latinist, Magistra Cohoe) that there is indeed such a school in our newly adopted hometown. And so with hopefulness we signed them up at ACA. The experience has been wonderful. Aside from the very tangible love and care that the school has shown to our family, in so many ways, our kids have learned well from ACA teachers. The Bible is not a tack-on in their classes, but informs all that they learn, at once filling their minds and shaping their hearts. They, like the boy in the Meno dialogue, are respected for their intellectual abilities, and so are pushed to excel. They memorise Scripture, maths, poetry, and the like. They read good books and understand why the texts that they read are important for them. It’s amazing to me that at Colorado Christian University, where I teach philosophy (among other things), my students are only just learning about who Aristotle or Augustine were, whereas my eight-year-old daughter Molly comes home and asks me what I think about these great philosophers! I’m confident that when my kids get to university, they will be well-prepared to engage in their courses at a much deeper level than many of my current students because of the way that ACA has taught them. ACA is also preparing them for a fuller appreciation of life. For instance, Jack and Molly are both involved in the upcoming production of “Peter Pan”; Jack will work behind the scenes while Molly gets to perform as Tiger Lily. More generally, they get to learn about the greatest of artists and composers, from ancient times to today. Vicky and I can’t wait to see where this education will take our kids. Whether they become students of the humanities or follow a more practical path, they’ll have a great appreciation for God and his world. But at bottom, whatever vocation they end up following, we have hope that they’ll take with them the character-building skills that have been instilled in them by their teachers at ACA.

Deo gratia!
----------------
Ian Clary is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Colorado Christian University and parent of ACA students Jack, Molly, Kate, and Tom.